Song of the Week: Dwight Yoakam, "A Heart Like Mine," 3 Pears

Song of the Week: Dwight Yoakam, "A Heart Like Mine," 3 Pears

In 1965, The Beatles recorded "Act Naturally" for the UK edition of Help!. Here, it was the B-side of a little song called "Yesterday." Even with Ringo singing, their cover of Buck Owens's signature hit instantly legitimized what was "The Bakersfield Sound" — a California-bred country movement featuring twang-y guitars, airtight harmonies, and a dash of rock-'n'-roll bluster. It's the music of mavericks, and any three minutes of the Bakersfield sound instantly reduces today's red-Solo-cup-wielding Nashville stars to hucksters and panderers. Nobody today mines Bakersfield more authentically than Dwight Yoakam, and you have to figure that's what Beck was thinking when he produced "A Heart Like Mine." The megaphone distortion on the vocals and a cleverly faded-out false ending have his fingerprints on them, but otherwise he steps aside and let's Yoakam roll out his best tune in twenty years — full of punchy bass, dizzying surf guitars, and a collection of Yoakam's finest Elvis impressions. Don't let the big hat and tight jeans fool you; this is a great rock-'n'-roll song, crunchy and full of swagger.

01Of10

Band of Horses, "Slow Cruel Hands," Mirage Rock

Band of Horses, "Slow Cruel Hands," Mirage Rock

Ben Bridwell's voice holds up shouting over loud guitars, but the best Band of Horses songs have always been slow-burners — there's a built-in wistfulness on a tune like "No One's Gonna Love You" that's heartbreaking. This perfectly sung warning against looking too far back is everything that's great about Band of Horses in one easy ballad.

Song of the Week: Dwight Yoakam, "A Heart Like Mine," 3 Pears

In 1965, The Beatles recorded "Act Naturally" for the UK edition of Help!. Here, it was the B-side of a little song called "Yesterday." Even with Ringo singing, their cover of Buck Owens's signature hit instantly legitimized what was "The Bakersfield Sound" — a California-bred country movement featuring twang-y guitars, airtight harmonies, and a dash of rock-'n'-roll bluster. It's the music of mavericks, and any three minutes of the Bakersfield sound instantly reduces today's red-Solo-cup-wielding Nashville stars to hucksters and panderers. Nobody today mines Bakersfield more authentically than Dwight Yoakam, and you have to figure that's what Beck was thinking when he produced "A Heart Like Mine." The megaphone distortion on the vocals and a cleverly faded-out false ending have his fingerprints on them, but otherwise he steps aside and let's Yoakam roll out his best tune in twenty years — full of punchy bass, dizzying surf guitars, and a collection of Yoakam's finest Elvis impressions. Don't let the big hat and tight jeans fool you; this is a great rock-'n'-roll song, crunchy and full of swagger.

2Of10

Band of Horses, "Slow Cruel Hands," Mirage Rock

Ben Bridwell's voice holds up shouting over loud guitars, but the best Band of Horses songs have always been slow-burners — there's a built-in wistfulness on a tune like "No One's Gonna Love You" that's heartbreaking. This perfectly sung warning against looking too far back is everything that's great about Band of Horses in one easy ballad.

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3Of10

alt-J, "Fitzpleasure," An Awesome Wave

Because these Mercury Prize-nominated misfits recognize that choral flourishes don't necessarily have to clash with loud guitars. Instead, they complement each other in the most unexpectedly glitchy, post-psychedelic, ain't-nobody-else-sounds-like-this ways.

4Of10

Ryan Bingham, "Heart of Rhythm," Tomorrowland

Because this is a reminder that if you only know Ryan Bingham from his Oscar-winning "The Weary Kind," you don't really know Ryan Bingham at all. His early albums sounded like a Road House-inspired version of The Black Crowes, and now he's veering toward something even more seething and guitar-driven. On this song, the only thing leaning country about Ryan Bingham is his drawl.

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5Of10

Ben Folds Five, "On Being Frank," The Sound of the Life of the Mind

Because, at his core, every man worthy of being called a man wants to be Frank Sinatra.

6Of10

Grizzly Bear, "Speak in Rounds," Shields

Because this immediately constitutes the most unabashedly straightforward pop song in the Grizzly Bear catalogue. That it concludes with an equally unabashed rock-'n'-roll crescendo is gravy.

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7Of10

Aimee Mann, "Disappeared," Charmer

Because when you're singing about rejection, it's tough to sound resigned and empowered at the same time. This is why nobody sings about rejection quite like Aimee Mann.

8Of10

The Killers, "Runaways," Battle Born

Because this is almost comically big and slick, but never dumb. And because, apparently, the divide between Night Ranger and Springsteen isn't quite as large as we once imagined.

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9Of10

Robert Ellis, "All Men Are Liars," Lowe Country

Because the trickiest aspect of paying tribute to a songwriter as frequently tongue-in-cheek as Nick Lowe has to lie in toeing the novelty line without crossing it. Robert Ellis, a young Texan maverick with taste well beyond his years, delivers even the hokiest part of this classic — the Rick Astley/ghastly rhyme — with not just a knowing wink, but also just the right dash of reverence.

10Of10

The Whigs, "Waiting," Enjoy the Country

Because joke about 'em all you want, but drummers matter. And we'd stand on Dave Grohl's coffee table and say Julian Dorio is the best drummer in rock 'n' roll. This is Exhibit A.